Nursing home administrator

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Does anyone know anything about this career? How long it takes, the salary etc... Also is it the same when someone says they're the department head of a nursing facility? Are they just two different names but the same career? Also, if you have any insight of the educational requirements.

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
Does anyone know anything about this career? How long it takes, the salary etc... Also is it the same when someone says they're the department head of a nursing facility? Are they just two different names but the same career? Also, if you have any insight of the educational requirements.

My state requires a bachelors degree, a specified course ( believe it is about 7 weeks long) and many hours of on-the-job training (I think about 6 months worth).

Department head is whoever is in charge of each department..ie: DON department head of nursing, Housekeeping supervisior is department head of housekeeping, etc.

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Our nursing home Administrator is not a nurse. HE is MBA. Master of Business Administration. so he doesnt know anything about nursing. HE said on my Job interview he is not a nurse but he knows the scope of nursing. but when i was working... he doest even know the difference between the LVN/LPN and RN. He wants LVN to do everything than to hire a RN. Dangerous. esp. for your license. nurses have many meetings but he still stick to what he said. until, the doctor noticed and nurses told him then he talk to the administrator. Its better to have a nurse administrator.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

i have a friend who does this for a living and he is not a nurse. however, he had progressive management experience in the nursing home setting for over 15 years prior to becoming a nursing home administrator. he also earned his mba in health care administration and received his license to be a nursing home administrator. you should check your state's requirements and read job descriptions.

i seriously doubt you will be able to graduate with the required degrees and walk into this kind of posiiton without work experience. of course if you know of a family member or a friend that owns a facility and is willing to take the risk of having you work in this position, then you may find a job easily. :twocents:gl!

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Once got a nursing home administrator who was a nurse. She acted like Attila the Hun.

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Specializes in LTC.
Our nursing home Administrator is not a nurse. HE is MBA. Master of Business Administration. so he doesnt know anything about nursing. HE said on my Job interview he is not a nurse but he knows the scope of nursing. but when i was working... he doest even know the difference between the LVN/LPN and RN. He wants LVN to do everything than to hire a RN. Dangerous. esp. for your license. nurses have many meetings but he still stick to what he said. until, the doctor noticed and nurses told him then he talk to the administrator. Its better to have a nurse administrator.

You think an administrator would know the difference of an LPN/RN if he says he knows the scope of practice.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Requirements vary from state to state. In Massachusetts if you have a Master's Degree you need to do a 3 month Administrator In Training with and administrator who's been licensed for at least 5 years. If you have a Bachelor's Degree, the AIT is 6 months long. I've worked for all sorts of Administrators. The best ones leave the nursing to the nurses. Salary ranges depending on where you live. My administrator told me I was making more money than she is...I'm the DNS.

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Thanks guys! CapeCodMermaid: how's DNS as a career? It seems interesting also. I was debating between that and nursing home administrator.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Ambulatory Care.

In TX you must have a BS in any subject attend 15 hours in long term care administration and 1000 hour AIT program. In Colorado you must successfully completed an associate's degree or higher degree in a health care-related field and have a minimum of two years experience in administration in a nursing home or hospital. And Attend a AIT program. If you google LTC administrator for the state you are looking, you should be able to find the requirements.

I have worked with administrators who were nurses and they seem to undermine the DON because they are nurses. "When I was a DON...." It is not worth the effort, when all of your decisions are second guessed. I would rather work with an administrator who admits he knows nothing about nursing.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
Thanks guys! CapeCodMermaid: how's DNS as a career? It seems interesting also. I was debating between that and nursing home administrator.

Being a DNS in long term care is all consuming. You can't really pick it as a career...you either grow into it or you don't. My advice: work your way up the ladder...have all the positions you can before you try to be a DNS. It's really the only way to learn.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

The administrator is usually a Business major and not in the nursing department. The head of nursing usually called DON for Director of Nursing is promoted through the ranks over many years. It's not something you step into out of school or train for.

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